Goats make great gifts

1 December 2016

Media release

Goats make great gifts
Having trouble with your Christmas shopping this year?
Don’t worry; we goat this!

We all have at least one family member or friend who it is impossible to buy a present for. The sister who has everything, the mother who doesn’t want anything or the best friend who thinks Christmas is ‘too commercial.’

This Christmas, ChildFund New Zealand has ‘goat’ your back with its Gifts that Grow catalogue. Give those hard to buy for family members the gift of a goat and help out a family in need overseas.

“When you give a goat as a gift this Christmas you can help to lift a child out of poverty,” says ChildFund New Zealand CEO Paul Brown.

“For a family in a developing country, a goat represents so much more than a pet. As well as providing a valuable food source for families to feed their children, it also enables the family to earn an income and create a sustainable future, free from poverty.”

Since 2008 kiwis have purchased over 8,000 Gifts that Grow goats for families in Zambia, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Priced at just $50, this year ChildFund New Zealand would like to see 1,000 goats purchased as alternative gifts, and become a Christmas best seller.

“In New Zealand we have around 50,000 goats as both pets and farm animals, and world-wide they have become an internet sensation with numerous Facebook and Instagram pages dedicated to them. But, goats really do make great gifts. Essential items like milk are expensive and hard to come by in rural areas in countries like Kenya. A single goat can provide a family with up to 5 litres of milk per day, a food source rich in vitamins and minerals and that is easy to digest for growing children,” continues Paul.

“ChildFund’s commitment to providing training on improved farming practices also means the goats can provide an income to the families. They are relatively easy to rear and breed, giving families the opportunity to sell surplus milk and animals to provide a better future for their children.”

How Gifts that Grow works

In addition to the goats, this year’s Gifts that Grow is the perfect way to give a truly meaningful gift, because every gift in the catalogue has the power to transform a child’s life.

Our commitment to gift-givers is that the items they choose will help children, families and communities grow in health, education and independence. The gifts on offer are focused on building

sustainable futures and are what communities themselves have identified as needing most.

Buyers can rest assured the gift bought is delivered directly to children and their families in the nominated ChildFund project. In the case more money is raised than needed for the chosen gift, the donation will be used for a similar gift that is still needed.

To order, visit www.childfund.org.nz or call 0800 223 111. Purchasers receive a special gift card explaining the gift and how it will benefit the recipient, and also get a ‘gift back’ via a full tax credit.

Case study: Robert – Emali, Kenya

Robert is a talkative eight-year old boy from Emali, Kenya. Robert and his family received a hybrid goat from ChildFund New Zealand and, as a result of improved farming practices learned through the ChildFund programme, the goats have breed and the family now have four.

Before receiving their goat, the family were struggling. They rarely drank milk, and could barely afford to buy other basic items such as sugar and flour. The goats provide the family with nutritious milk and they are able to sell the surplus to buy additional food items.

The family all pitch in to help with the goats. Robert feeds them when he gets home from school, milks them and herds them safely into their pen for the night. The family hopes to grow their goat business to help further improve the lives of their children.

To see more about how Goats are already making a difference in a ChildFund community in Zambia, click here.

Ends

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